Thursday, September 22, Eyewitness News at 11

GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
I'M FRANK MALLOY..
AND I'M LEAH JOHNSON..THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 11.

MEMBERS OF MACON CITY COUNCIL ARE TRYING TO LIGHT A NEW FIRE... UNDER THE CITY'S PROPOSED SMOKING ORDINANCE.
MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT VETOED THE FIRST SMOKING LAW IN APRIL.
NOW.... SPONSORS SAY THEY'VE TWEAKED THE LAW... TO TRY TO GET REICHERT ON BOARD.
BOTH DRAFTS BAN SMOKING INSIDE OF RESTAURANTS AND BARS.
THE BIGGEST CHANGES BETWEEN THE TWO DEAL WITH SMOKING IN OUTDOOR PUBLIC PLACES.
THE FIRST PROPOSED LAW MADE IT ILLEGAL TO SMOKE WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF PLACES LIKE PARKS... AND RECREATION CENTERS.
THE NEW DRAFT... RELAXES THE RESTRICTIONS A LITTLE.
IT SAYS PEOPLE CAN'T SMOKE IN ANY ENCLOSED AREA OF A PARK... OR REC CENTER.
BUT THEY CAN SMOKE OUTSIDE... SO LONG AS THEY'RE FARTHER THAN 25 FEET FROM A PLAYGROUND.
SPONSORS SAY THEY'RE HOPING IT WILL BE ENOUGH TO AVOID ANOTHER VETO..
BUT AS ELEANOR LISSITZYN EXPLAINS... IF TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING IS ANYTHING TO GO BY... THEY'VE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO TOWARDS SELLING IT TO THE PUBLIC.
COUNCIL SPONSORS ARE BACK FOR ROUND TWO... AND HOPING TO GAIN MORE PUBLIC SUPPORT... FOR THE PROPOSED SMOKING LAW.
A TOTAL OF TWENTY FIVE PEOPLE FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE... SPOKE AT THURSDAYS TWO-HOUR PUBLIC HEARING.
"If you choose to harm yourself that's fine, but no one has the right to hurt another person. It's not about liberty, it's about public safety."
"The people I've talked to, smokers and non-smokers all agreee, it's goign to hurt business."
A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE SPOKE IN FAVOR OF BANING SMOKING IN MANY PUBLIC PLACES... TALKING ABOUT THE HAZARDS OF SECOND HAND SMOKE...
"It doesn't hurt to walk outside and have a cigarrette, because you're killing somebody, and one of them is me."
AND CREATING A MORE APPEALING NIGHTLIFE ATMOSPHERE FOR NON-SMOKERS.
BUT COUNCIL MAY STILL FIND SUPPORT LACKING IN THE BAR AND RESTAURANT COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE IN THOSE INDUSTRIES REPEATEDLY TOOK THE STAND... TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY'RE WORRIED INCOME WILL GO UP IN SMOKE.
"The customers that wer'e getting from the surrownding areas, it's going to flow backwards, we're going to wind up seeing people go to Warner Robins."
HUMMINGBIRD BAR OWNER VICTOR STANLEY SAYS THAT WHILE HE LIKES THE IDEA OF RESTRICTING PUBLIC SMOKING... THE TIMING ISN'T RIGHT FOR MACON.
"We get those store fronts filled... we get enough people down here, the non-smoking thing will happen, cuz that's what happens in progressive communities."
SEVERAL PEOPLE ALSO COMMENTED THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED OUTSIDE LOBBYISTS ARE INFLUENCING POLTIICAL OFFICIALS... INSTEAD OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS.
STD
WHEN THE MAYOR VETOED COUNCIL'S ORDINANCE IN APRIL... HE SAID ONE REASON WAS BECAUSE OUTLAWING SMOKING IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY BUT NOT THE COUNTY... WOULD HURT BUSINESS.
COUNTY COMMISSIONER SAM HART ATTENDED TONIGHT'S MEETING... HE SAYS THE COUNTY LAST DISCUSSED A SMOKING ORDINANCE IN JUNE.
HE SAYS IF THE CITY PASSES A SMOKING LAW... HE'D CONSIDER BRINGING THE ISSUE BACK UP BEFORE COMMISSIONERS.

TWO GEORGIA COLLEGE FRESHMEN WERE KILLED AND TWO OTHERS INJURED AFTER AN EARLY-MORNING CAR ACCIDENT.
MILLEDGEVILLE POLICE CHIEF WOODROW BLUE SAYS THE CAR WENT AIRBORNE WHILE IT WAS CROSSING TRAIN TRACKS ON NORTH COLUMBIA STREET.
BLUE SAYS THE CAR FLIPPED... AND HIT A TREE.
COUNTY CORONER JOHN GONZALEZ SAYS JOHNNY HAROF AND ALEX DELOR WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AROUND 1-45 A-M.
FELLOW FRESHMAN HEATHER WILSON LIVED NEAR THE FOUR BOYS IN NAPIER HALL.
SHE SAYS IT WAS A TOUGH DAY FOR THEIR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS.
Heather Wilson: "Devistating, shocking. I like didn't want to believe it. It was just weird to think they weren't going to be here anymore, but I was thankful at the same time that Tyler and Christian were ok."
WILSON SAYS TYLER ZECKER AND CHRISTIAN SMITH WERE IN THE FRONT SEAT OF THE CAR.
BOTH WERE TAKEN TO THE MEDICAL CENTER FOR THEIR INJURIES...

MACON POLICE NEED HELP FINDING THREE MEN WHO MAY HAVE INFORMATION ON A RAPE IN A DOWNTOWN NIGHTCLUB OVER THE WEEKEND.
MACON POLICE RELEASED PHOTOS OF THESE THREE MEN.
SPOKESWOMAN JAMI GAUDET SAYS THEY MAY HAVE INFORMATION ON THE RAPE... WHICH HAPPENED SATURDAY NIGHT.
SHE SAYS POLICE WILL NOT RELEASE MORE DETAILS... INCLUDING THE NAME OF THE NIGHTCLUB... BECAUSE IT MIGHT COMPROMISE THE INVESTIGATION.
SERGEANT JUMAINE JONES ALSO WOULD NOT SAY WHETHER THE THREE ARE WITNESSES OR PERSONS OF INTEREST.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE CASE... YOU CAN CALL MACON REGONAL CRIMESTOPPERS AT 1-877-68-CRIME.
AGAIN THATS 1-877-68-CRIME.

FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER SAYS THE EXECUTION OF DEATH ROW INMATE TROY DAVIS SHOWED THE DEATH PENALTY SYSTEM IS QUOTE-"UNJUST AND OUTDATED."
HE RELEASED A STATEMENT TODAY AFTER DAVIS WAS EXECUTED LATE LAST NIGHT.
THE SAVANNAH NATIVE WAS CONVICTED OF KILLING AN OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER IN 1989.
BUT SOME OF THE WITNESSES AGAINST HIM LATER CHANGED THEIR STORIES... AND SAID THE KILLER WAS ANOTHER MAN.
TODAY'S 13WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL ASKS... DID TROY DAVIS DESERVE TO DIE?
SO FAR 60 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YES.
AND 40 PERCENT OF YOU SAY NO.
VOTE NOW.... LOOK FOR THE WEB POLL ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR HOMEPAGE AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.

WALL STREET TOOK A HIT TODAY.... AMID CONCERNS ABOUT THE ALREADY WEAK ECONOMY.
INVESTORS FEAR THAT THE U-S... AND THE WORLD ARE HEADING FOR ANOTHER RECESSION.
THE DOW CLOSED DOWN AT 391 POINTS... OR THREE AND A HALF PERCENT... AND CLOSED UNDER 11 THOUSAND.
THE NASDAQ AND THE S AND P 500 ALSO DROPPED MORE THAN THREE PERCENT TODAY.
NINETEEN STOCKS FELL FOR EVERY ONE THAT ROSE.
ONE FINANCIAL INDICATOR AFTER ANOTHER SHOWS THAT INVESTORS ARE LOSING HOPE THAT THE ECONOMY CAN KEEP GROWING.
TODAY'S PLUNGE COMES A DAY AFTER THE FEDERAL RESERVE ANNOUNCED A CHANGE IN STRATEGY FOR FIGHTING THE ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN.

ONE MACON GROUP SAYS A YEAR OF HARD WORK HAS PAID OFF.
MAIN STREET MACON SAYS THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION HAS NAMED THE CITY AN URBAN MAIN STREET.
MANAGER MECHEL MCKINLEY SAYS THE NEW DESIGNATION WILL ALLOW THEM TO APPLY FOR GRANT AND IMPROVE THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THE URBAN MAIN STREET PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN AREAS.
OVER THE PAST YEAR... THE GROUP HAS HELD MEETINGS WITH DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES TO CREATE A WORK PLAN.
MCKINLEY SAYS THEY HOPE TO FILL THE VACANT BUILDINGS... AND CREATE A BUSTLING DOWNTOWN.
Mechel Mckinley, Main Street Macon Manager: " We hope that by having the Urban Mainstreet Designation will just continue to encourage economic development and revitalization in downtown Macon. We've made a lot of strides in the past two years and we feel like this will just give us another boost in heading in that direction."
MCKINLEY SAYS THEY WANT TO TRANSFORM DOWNTOWN MACON INTO A VIBRANT CENTER FOR THE CITY.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN COUNTRY MUSIC MADE A STOP AT THE MACON CENTREPLEX TONIGHT.
THAT'S RIGHT... ALAN JACKSON TOOK THE STAGE.
A SOLD-OUT CROWD FILLED THE CENTREPLEX.
BEN AD-LIBS

IT IS ACTUALLY NOT THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT - AND I STILL FEEL MIGHTY FINE! ALAS MIDDLE GEORGIA - THIS WEEK WE OPEN SCENE THIRTEEN WITH A NOD TO ONE OF THE GREATS! IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD - AND I'M SURE YOU HAVE - R.E.M. IS NO MORE FOREVER! THOUGH THEY WILL LIVE FOREVER IN INFAMY, THE BAND SHUTS THE DOOR ON A MUSIC CAREER THAT HAS REACHED CLEAR ACROSS THE WORLD OVER THREE DECADES. SO 'TIS ONLY FITTING THAT WE BEGIN YOUR WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT WITH A BARRAGE OF MUSICAL OFFERINGS FOR YOUR FRIDAY NIGHT...

FIRST, FRIDAY FEST IN DOWNTOWN MACON TAKES YOU BACK TO THE EIGHTIES WITH A LIVE CONCERT IN THIRD STREET PARK! AT SIX P-M, ECHO SPEED BREAKS OUT THE INXS, THE DURAN DURAN - ALL THE SONGS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD, OR YOUR ADULTHOOD, OR EVEN YOUR BEFORE-YOU- WERE-BORN-HOOD. THE THING IS - WHETHER YOU MISSED THE EIGHTIES COMPLETELY OR CONTINUE TO REVEL IN THE GLORY DAYS - THIS IS A BAND THAT EVERYBODY CAN GET DOWN TO. EVERYBODY WANG-CHUNG TONIGHT! GET ALL YOUR FRIDAY FEST INFO AT MACON-FRIDAY-FEST-DOT-COM.

RIGHT DOWN THE WAYAT THE HUMMINGBIRD - THE BOYS OF SAINT FRANCIS GET TO ROCK STEADY 'ROUND ABOUT TEN-THIRTY O'CLOCK. CURRENTLY TOURING THE SOUTHEAST, SAINT FRANCIS BRINGS IT HOME TO DOWNTOWN MACON FOR A NIGHT OF R-AND-B REVELRY! THIS IS A SHOW FOR THE GROWN FOLKS - EIGHTEEN-PLUS - SO OBVIOUSLY, NO KIDS IN THE HOUSE! FLAMINGO ROYALE - JAZZ MASTERS FROM THE LAND OF ATLANTA - KICK THE CONCERT-ING OFF AT NINE. CHECK OUT HUMMINGBIRD-MACON-DOT-COM TO GRAB TICKETS.

AND WRAPPING UP THE MUSIC SCENE ON A VERY BUSY FRIDAY NIGHT IN DOWNTOWN MACON, SULTRY NEO SOUL GROUP - INTERCHANGE -TURNS UP THE JAMS AT MIDTOWN KEY CLUB...

THE LADIES START THE SANGIN' AT NINE!

ALRIGHT, WE NOW TURN OUR ATTENTION TO SATURDAY. AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO KICK OFF THE DAY THAN WITH A LITTLE WALK! AT MCCONNELL-TALBERT STADIUM IN WARNER ROBINS, HUNDREDS OF FOLKS FROM ALL ACROSS MIDDLE GEORGIA GATHER FOR THE ANNUAL EASTER SEALS WALK WITH ME EVENT! EASTER SEALS - IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW - IS AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES. NOW, IN ADDITION TO THE MORNING WALK, THERE'LL BE FOOD, A BAND, A MAGIC SHOW...THE LIST JUST GOES ON AND ON. SO IT'S GOOD FUN, A GREAT CAUSE, AND...WELL, I'VE GOT A LITTLE HELP FROM A PRETTY AWESOME GUY FOR THIS ONE - TAKE IT AWAY JACK...

SHEP SLATER, STEWART HUFF AND THIS GUY, DAN MENGINI WILL ALL BE IN THE HOUSE. BUT BEFORE THE FUNNIES BEGIN...

SEATING AT THE THEATRE IS LIMITED, SO YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO GET THOSE TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME. CALL THE THEATRE AT 929-4579 TO DO SO NOW.

IN CLOSING, TIME AFTER TIME, IT'S ALWAYS A CARNIVAL OF SORTS HERE ON SCENE THIRTEEN! IF YOU NEED GOOD ADVICES, OR WANT TO FIGURE OUT LIFE AND HOW TO LIVE IT - DON'T GO BACK TO ROCKVILLE! CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE. FROM THE KING OF BIRDS TO ALL OF YOUS OUT THERE - AND IF YOU'RE COUNTING THAT WAS SEVEN R-E-M SONG REFERENCES - GARDENING AT NIGHT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. EIGHT! THAT'S A R-E-M-WRAP...

AND IF YOU'RE HEADING TO THE THEATERS TO CATCH A NEW RELEASE THIS WEEKEND... YOU'VE GOT PLENTY OF CHOICES.
AMONG OTHER THINGS.. BRAD PITT TAKES A SWING AS A BASEBALL GENERAL MANAGER... AND GERARD BUTLER TAKES ON THE SUDANESE MILITIA.
FIRST UP... "MONEYBALL" TELLS THE TRUE STORY OF OAKLAND A'S GENERAL MANAGER BILLY BEANE.. WHO HOPED TO DEFY THE ODDS AND BUILD A WINNING TEAM... ON A BUDGET.
THE FILM STARS BRAD PITT AND JONAH HILL... AND IT'S RATED P-G 13.
EX-DRUG DEALER SAM CHILDERS TRAVELS TO EAST AFRICA TO TRY TO DO SOME GOOD IN "MACHINE GUN PREACHER."
CHILDERS... PLAYED BY GERARD BUTLER... FACES DOWN A BRUTAL MILITIA TO HELP THE CHILDREN OF SUDAN.
"MACHINE GUN PREACHER" IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY... AND IT'S RATED R.
"TWILIGHT'S" TAYLOR LAUTNER STARS IN THE PG-RATED THRILLER "ABDUCTION."
HIS CHARACTER DISCOVERS THAT HIS WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE.
THE SEARCH FOR HIS TRUE IDENTITY LANDS HIM ON THE RUN FROM AN ARMY OF ASSASSINS.
A YOUNG BOY FIGHTS TO SAVE AN INJURED DOLPHIN IN "DOLPHIN TALE."
THE ANIMAL... NAMED 'WINTER'... LOSES HER TAIL AND ISN'T EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
BUT A BRILLIANT PROSTHETICS DOCTOR... PLAYED BY MORGAN FREEMAN... STEPS IN WITH SOME GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY.
"DOLPHIN TALE" IS INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY... AND THE REAL 'WINTER' STARS AS HERSELF.
IT'S RATED P-G.
FOR ALL YOUR ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES... SURF OVER TO THE SCENE 13 PAGE AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
YOU'LL FIND THE LINK IN THE MENU BAR ON THE HOMEPAGE.

TONIGHT'S FACEBOOK FAN OF THE DAY IS DARRICK BARNES.
DARRICK... YOU'LL NEED TO EMAIL FAN OF THE DAY AT 13WMAZ DOT COM TO CLAIM YOUR COFFEE MUG.
GETTING A MUG... COULD BE EASIER THAN MAKING MUSIC.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO STICK TO A RHYTHM WHEN YOU SURF OVER TO FACEBOOK DOT COM SLASH 13WMAZ.
THE LIKE BUTTON DOESN'T CARE IF YOU'RE A LITTLE OFF-KEY.
AND HEY... YOU DON'T HAVE TO PRACTICE FOR YEARS TO MASTER THE ART OF CONVERSATION.